Forever First Series by RaShelle Workman

Touching Melody by RaShelle Workman

 

Touching Melody is the first installment in the Forever First series by RaShelle Workman.  This is a NA book with a YA feel, it’s good but not great.  Although I liked the twist and turns, this was not to write home to your mother about.  I didn’t have a stand out factor and I didn’t connect to Maddie. She was hot and cold about Kyle.  For her to have so many issues with him she sure didn’t waste any time falling head over heels.  I did, however, like Kyle’s characters and how nurturing and understanding her was.  I liked the twist at the end, but that was to be expected if you saw the foreshadowing throughout this read.

Overall it was just ok at 2 ½ stars.

Synopsis:

Maddie Martin's first weekend at college is nothing like she's used to. It's wild, like the wilderness on which the University of Bellam Springs sits. Roped into going to a fraternity party, she literally runs into Kyle Hadley. The boy she's loved since she was nine. The boy she promised all of her firsts to. But that was before his father killed her parents.

Determined to stay away from him, she throws herself into her music. Practicing piano eases her heavy heart, calms the sadness, and pushes away images of Kyle's face.

Until it doesn't.

Her music professor asks her to play a duet for their annual Winter Gala. Doing so means she'll be assured another full ride scholarship. It's an opportunity she can't pass up.

But Kyle is the other half of the duet. And that means hours and hours of practicing.

Weeks of seclusion - just the two of them. And it's more than just music. It's passion like Maddie never believed was possible.

The inevitable happens. She falls in love with him all over again.

But, will loving him be enough to erase all the hate in her heart for his father? Can she look at him, and not see the evil in his family tree?

And maybe it's all a set up. Maybe Kyle is only pretending to care so he can finish what his father started, and kill her too.

Finding Bliss

Finding Bliss by Dina Silver

 

Finding Bliss started off at a great pave quickly catching and holding my attention then fizzled out just as fast.  I think starting off this story in the NA genre was a great asset, but moving into the adult aspect killed it for me.  I thought that there was too much jumping in years and that threw me for a loop.  I wanted to know the details of the relationship better rather that left feeling rushed.  I mean, the couple went from pining over each other in college to moving in together after college in 2 pages; come on to make it believable I need deets.

We did see some character development in Chloe; I felt that she could have been more compassionate and relatable.  Tyler worked so hard for a relationship with Chloe to throw it all away, you never want to see this in a book, but that’s real life folks. I didn’t ge the ending either, so I was left wanting more.

This book would have been awesome if it would have stuck with the NA feel and not followed these two throughout their lives.

Synopsis:

  Chloe Carlyle has always longed for the perfect family.

Growing up with an alcoholic single mother, she has seen her share of heartbreak and disappointment, and is striving to build a new legacy for herself. After graduating from college, she takes a job working as a summer girl for the Reeds––a wealthy, accomplished family that personifies her American dream. Her summer takes an unexpected turn when the Reeds’ eldest son Tyler, the star quarterback for Notre Dame, shows up and turns her life upside down.

An ambitious young woman with a wry sense of humor, Chloe never imagined herself as the type to succumb to the looks and charms of the hometown hero, but she falls hard for Tyler, and is devastated when they part ways at the end of the summer. As she heads off to law school, Chloe tries to convince herself this was just a fling, but she can’t quite get over him. It’s not until Tyler contacts her out of the blue late one winter night that everything changes.

After doing everything in her power to build the perfect life, Chloe soon learns that there are things beyond her control. She must draw on inner reserves of strength as her life takes unpredictable—and sometimes heartbreaking—twists and turns, and she finds herself faced with decisions she never thought she’d have to make. Poignant, heartfelt, and emotional, Finding Bliss is a reminder that you don’t have to live a fairytale life in order to have a happy ending.

Leopard's Prey by Christine Feehan

Leopard's Prey

So, two book reviews in one day...I must be running a fever (oh wait, I am...a low-grade one, courtesy of my miserable, on-going summer of dental and sinus problems). I haven't completed many reviews this summer for those reasons, but I'm going to try to finish this one before my medication kicks in and sends me to la-la land. Oh, and as an aside, if you happen to know any natural cures for sinus problems, that don't involve antibiotics, feel free to leave me a comment. Would love to hear some!

Okay, so I've been reading Christine Feehan for years, and she is one of my favorite authors. I don't read all of her books, but I do read her Dark series and her Leopard People series. I tried to read the others, but I just can't get into them as easily. 

Leopard's Prey is set in the bayou of Louisiana, and I love books set in the bayou with good ole' Cajun boys. And I'm glad that we're getting to see more of the Boudreaux brothers, as well. Leopard's Prey is Remy Boudreaux's story. Remy, Remy, Remy is so dreamy...couldn't resist, but really, he is. Feehan can write a steamy story, and Leopard's Prey is no exception. Lots of smokin' hot scenes with a strong alpha male that doesn't back down from a fight, and particularly when it comes to his woman. One of her strong points is her smokin' hot scenes...and in my opinion, she needs to capitalize on that as frequently as possible (hehe).

Feehan can also write a fairly decent mystery, and a good crime scene, and she has good attention to detail. Some of the elements of the mystery with this one were a little contrived and predictable, but it was still a good story. Sometimes, she's a little long in the tooth and goes off on these tangents as she does with the Carpathian language stuff in the Dark series that I'm just no interested in and probably will never be interested in (as are a few fans that I know of, as well). With this one, there's a little overemphasis on rocks...seriously, rocks? Oh well, maybe it was just filler. At times, though, it almost feels as if she's just taken up a new hobby that she's overly eager to share: cooking, music, linguistics 101, etymology, rock climbing, mineralogy, etc. To be real, it can all be a little over the top...

I really enjoyed the first half of Leopard's Prey, but the last one-hundred pages, I started to lose a little interest, and by that point, there were a slew of bad guys to keep up with that it was exhausting. I think that I liked Saria and Drake's story better overall, but I would love to see Gage Boudreaux get his own story next. 

Blurb: From a tough stint in the armed forces to stalking the unknown as a bayou cop, leopard shifter Remy Boudreaux has been served well by his uncanny gifts. And right now, New Orleans could use a homicide detective like Remy.

A serial killer is loose, snatching victims from the French Quarter with pitiless rage and unnatural efficiency. But something else is drawing Remy into the twilight—a beautiful jazz singer bathed night after night in a flood of bloodred neon.

Sultry, mysterious and as seductive as her songs, she’s luring Remy deeper into the shadows than he ever imagined. And as their passions swell, his keen instinct for survival will be challenged like never before. By a killer-and a woman.

Leopard's Prey: 4 out of 5 stars!

Reviewed by Susannah;)))

MacRieve by Kresley Cole

MacRieve

Okay, I'm baaaack! I've been gone for a while this summer (thanks, abscessed tooth and freakin' sinus infection!), but now I'm (partly) back and ready to give you my thoughts on MacRieve by Kresley Cole.
Let me preface this by saying, that I love Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series. Love it, love it, love it. She is a phenomenal writer that is able to give just the right amount of action, humor, and sensual romance to a paranormal story. If you've never read any of her books and you're a paranormal fan, then you are seriously missing out! I would say start with her first book in the series, A Hunger Like No Other, instead of picking this one up first.

So back to MacRieve...verdict: I liked it, but I didn't love it. And to be blunt, the reason why I didn't love it is because there was not enough action. Period. Too much angst with the hero and heroine and not enough of the well-paced action that progresses her storylines that her other books are known for. Cole does a wonderful job with character development, but what happened to all the action? Is this a precursor to her changing the way she writes? Maybe. Are her books going to be more character-driven now? It's hard to say. I, for one, hope not because her writing style in this one did not resonate with me. If I want to read an angsty, character-driven book, I'll pick up a New Adult book...side-eye me all you want, but you know it's true...all angst with little to no plot. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but when I pick up a Kresley Cole book, I expect to be taken somewhere and for there to be lots of accompanying drama and suspense...the middle of a jungle with a lycan who's just found their mate...a prison fortress with a crazed berserker...a haunted house with an alluring ghost...a survival of the fittest contest with a love-struck vampire...she excels at creating such visual scenery and stories that makes readers feel as if they are right there in the middle of the action. Not to mention, how's she able to create such unique, interesting, and sympathetic characters on top of all of this.

There were some good points to the story, but overall, it was a little on the mediocre side. I have to be honest, I don't know much about soccer, so many of the soccer (heroine is a soccer player) and sports analogies just went right by me. Here's to hoping that Mrs. Cole's next Immortals book scores a goal (lol...knew that one)

MacRieve: 3 stars out of 5!

Reviewed by Susannah B.

Interview with Beth Albright - Author of the Sassy Belles

Q and A with Beth Albright

Author of the Sassy Belles series


1. I love hearing about the creative process that writers go through when telling a story, so my question is: how did you come up with the idea for the Sassy Belles series?

 The idea of The Sassy Belles was born out of a major bout of homesickness. I was literally writing to save myself. It was the best therapy. I had owned a children’s acting school in Texas, Enron fell, and the little school was collateral damage as many of my families worked there. One night, I was sitting in my car as the rain poured down. My husband had run into a grocery store and my son slept in the backseat. I took out a little notepad from my purse, and feeling a desperate need to sit with my Sassy sisters and have a margarita, I scribbled the very first words of The Sassy Belles—the very same words that open the book today!

When I chose the title, I was actually thinking of Skinny Girl…you know the brand…and how I COULD NOT relate to that whatsoever! I decided to call my series, The Sassy Belles…everyone, can be a Sassy Belle…”Sassy” is every size, every color and every age…no limitations! It’s all about Attitude! And there will even be a cocktail too!

2. Being an Alabama fan, I absolutely loved that you included University of Alabama football in the story. How did that all come about?

How could I possibly write a story set in Tuscaloosa and NOT include Alabama football? Hahaha! It wasn’t even a possibility. Alabama football is so huge in my family. It all goes back to my grandfather, Frank Bruce. He was the play-by-play announcer for the Crimson Tide. His picture even hangs in the Bryant Museum on campus!  And I spent so many years as a radio talk show host myself, and graduated from Alabama too, so when it came time to write, the radio world and the Crimson Tide were just a natural place for the story to land. Combined, we have a missing play-by-play announcer in The Sassy Belles as a little mystery on the side. All the books will include University of Alabama football. I mean, they take place in Tuscaloosa so it all just fits seamlessly together. But the women in the story will always be the main focal point, their deep friendships and the life they live, being there for each other no matter what happens. As I say in The Sassy Belles, “We take care of each other, we stand our ground, and we do it in high heels, big hair and lots of lipstick.”


3. I've recently seen a surge of romance books that take place in the South. As a reviewer and a Southern gal, I tend to be somewhat critical of stories that supposedly have a Southern backdrop, but really, they could be anywhere in the U.S., because there was no real attention to detail in terms of dialogue and locale. I love, though, how your series feels true to the South and the dialogue feels on-point and that you included landmarks and actual places. That being said, what do you feel the attraction is for readers to stories set in the South?

 I love this question! And thank you so much for the sweet compliment! I truly believe people today are craving the real thing in life…real people, good times, genuine laughter, and a sense of belonging. Life is so transient these days, people are hardly ever native to the area they live as adults. Life has become large and hectic and fake at times, just to get through the day. The South never changed. At least for me. When I go home to Tuscaloosa, it’s like I never left. The hugs are real, the smiles warm and genuine, the laughter and the conversation, the long chats with best friends—all so real and such a comfort. I think most people in the country crave that. I know I do--a slower life and a sense of community. I know when I left and went to the big cities, I never stood in a grocery store line and heard someone’s entire life story! I love that-- to be around chatty friendly people. There is something so special about the south. The line, “never met a stranger” couldn’t be more true than in the south. Life is easier in a small town down south too. All the neighbors watch out for each other and everyone's kids are like your own. The men are still chivalrous and the women still act like ladies, with make-up done to perfection and a string of pearls. That may be my favorite part—well-- next to the food! And that’s another subject entirely!

 
4. Could you share any information on what you are currently working on?

Another Sassy Belles trilogy for sure! It’s my cover, haha. When I write, I can be “home” down south in Tuscaloosa ALL the time! We will meet three new Belles. One of them isn’t really new as she was in the original little club The Sassy Belles that my original Belles Blake and Vivi began in junior high school. More hysterical characters, a bit more mystery, more fun and more chivalrous men too! 

Thank you to Beth for taking the time to answer our questions! You can see my review for Sassy Belles by following this link: 

http://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/sassy-belles

Gorgeous

Gorgeous by Paul Rudnick

 

1 ½ Stars

I could tell by the first shot chapter that I was not gong to like this book.  It was almost like going back to grade school after being in college, it was just so blah.  I can’t really put my finger what I didn’t like.  Maybe I have read so many awesome book lately that I just can’t go back to mediocre. 

This book started off simple and the writing style was horrible.  The dialogue was terrible, the characters were dull and had not depth, and the plot was simple and boring.  I’m sorry I just could not get swept up in this fairytale.  The overall concept was good but the delivery fell flat and I was not able to connect to this book.

On the bright side, I think the cover is good!

Synopsis:

When eighteen-year-old Becky Randle’s mother dies, she’s summoned from her Missouri trailer park to meet Tom Kelly, the world’s top designer. He makes her an impossible offer: He’ll create three dresses to transform Becky from a nothing special girl into the most beautiful woman who ever lived.

Becky thinks Tom is a lunatic, or that he’s producing a hidden camera show called World’s Most Gullible Poor People. But she accepts, and she’s remade as Rebecca. When Becky looks in the mirror, she sees herself – an awkward mess of split ends and cankles. But when anyone else looks at Becky, they see pure five-alarm hotness.

Soon Rebecca is on the cover of Vogue, the new Hollywood darling, and dating celebrities. Then Becky meets Prince Gregory, heir to the British throne, and everything starts to crumble. Because Rebecca aside, Becky loves him. But to love her back, Gregory would have to look past the blinding Rebecca to see the real girl inside. And Becky knows there’s not enough magic in the world.

A screamingly defiant, hugely naughty, and impossibly fun free fall past the cat walks, the red carpets, and even the halls of Buckingham Palace, Gorgeous does the impossible: It makes you see yourself clearly for the first time.

Feature Follow #1

The Rules of You and Me

The Rules of You and Me by Shana Norris

 

4 stars

The Rules of You and Me is a cute YA summer read by Shana Norris.  I didn’t know that this was the sequel to The Boyfriend Thief.  I thought that book was better, but this book is not bad.  I just had no idea they were connected in any way until she confesses to Zac that she paid Avery to take him off her hands.  

This book follows Hannah Cohen in her struggle to find herself after her family falls apart.  She moves to Ashville, NC for the summer to live with her aunt where she makes new friends and maybe a love interest.  But can Hannah see pasgt her mother’s rules to be her own person?

I liked this book and thought it was a refreshing, fluffy, YA read.

Synopsis:

Hannah Cohen has always lived her life by a set of carefully constructed rules to maintain the image of perfection. But now, the rules aren’t helping control the chaos that is quickly taking over.

Opting out of spending the summer in Paris with her mom, Hannah instead heads to the mountains of North Carolina to stay with her aunt. The Blue Ridge Mountains provide a barrier between Hannah and the rest of the world, a safe haven where her secrets can be forgotten.

When Hannah crosses paths with Jude Westmore, a guy who hangs a different shirt from the tree in his front yard every day, she finds herself breaking out of the comfort of her rules and doing things she had never dared before. As the summer passes, Hannah and Jude grow closer and make up their own rules for dealing with life.

But when the secret Hannah has tried to forget is finally revealed, even the new rules can’t save her from possibly losing everything–including Jude.

This young adult romance is a standalone companion novel to The Boyfriend Thief.

Unforgettable You Series by Beverley Kendall

 

 

 

Only for You/When In Paris by Beverley Kendall

 

3 ½ stars

I wanted to open this review by saying that this book is good, but the fact that the title of the series and the book itself will leaver readers confused.  When I first received this book for review a few months back it was titled When in Paris and the series was called Language of Love, which I love, and was first published December 2012.  The alternate cover and title is Only for You and the new series is called Unforgettable You, I have no idea when this new title, cover, and series was published leaving me so confused.  

Despite the confusion on the book and title, this book was pretty good.  The characters are interesting, but the back and forth, I love you I hate you got old.  I am more interested in knowing the story of Troy and April.  The leads in this book have an attraction from high school that neither realizes exist. And not starting college miles away from home they discover they are in the same class.  When sparks fly this couple can not deny the pull, but like in college the make ups and break ups are dramatic.  The sub characters are interesting as well and I can not wait to read more of this series.  

Synopsis:

College freshman Olivia Montgomery is thrilled at the chance to start over, escape the rumors that plagued her in high school. And she can finally put her juvenile crush, Zachary Pearson, where he belongs--in her past. Then her unrequited love strolls into her French class, shattering Olivia's newfound peace, and the feelings she'd thought buried for good come rushing back. Now she can't shake her unwanted attraction to the one guy who can twist her stomach into knots with just a smile...but has never given her the time of day.

Zach's good looks may have always gotten him his pick of girls, but it's the star quarterback's skill on the football field that gives him his pick of the Big Ten colleges. To escape the crushing demands of his win-at-all-costs father, Zach opts for a private university in upstate New York where...his present and past collide. And the one girl he's always wanted but can't have--and a class trip to Paris--turn out to be the ultimate game changer that has him breaking every one of his rules.

Those Nights in Montreal/All Over You by Beverley Kendall

3 ½ Stars

Those Nights in Montreal/All Over You is the second installment of the Unforgettable You series. It is actually # 1.5 and after reading an author interview it was supposed to be a novella, but turned into a short novel after the connection the author had to this story.

I started out with this series and I liked it enough to follow it through the name change, which in my previous review I give a lot of flack for. This concept is very confusing for readers and especially readers like me who want to follow this series. Maybe by book three this series will get straightened out and I can find the rest of the series books with one title.

Ok now that my rant is over, I really liked this story. I loved Rebecca Winters from this moment Olivia spoke to her in the first book. Maybe it’s because we share a name and we both like to be called Becca, maybe not. I liked that she was a straight shooter, and calls it like she sees it. I had to read her story, when it was able to find the title due to the name change.

This duo was meant to be, I mean this couple had instant attraction in the previous book and the sparks flew in this one too. The chemistry was out of this world and the characters were interesting due to their history.

I enjoyed this series and hope that Troy and April’s book will be full of passion. I can not wait to read the next installment.

Synopsis:

An ex is an ex for a reason

To Rebecca Winters, it's not just a saying or the title to a catchy tune, it's a rule she staunchly lives by. Especially since the break up with her ex. What's the point in trying to fix the "unfixable"? Besides, only a girl hell-bent on more heartbreak would go back to the guy who bailed on her when she needed him most. But saying no to Scott is becoming more difficult than surviving the breakup itself. And unfortunately for her, the kind of pressure he's exerting is making her rule all too easy to break.

Scott Carver has given up trying to get over his ex. He's still in love with her and their year apart has done nothing to change that. Yeah, he knows he screwed up. Just how royally, he wasn't aware of until now. So when Becca agrees to give him a second chance, he grabs on to it with both hands. But it's clear the only way things will ever truly be right between them is if he comes clean...about everything. He can only pray the truth doesn't send her running--for good this time.

The Harvesters (Harvesting Series #1) Book Trailer

 

The Harvesters (Harvesting Series #1)


When she finds her boyfriend shackled to a white metal table Ashley feared for the worse.

On a small trip of dropping off a package for Jason?s father, the young couple never thought they would be running for their lives. Running away from supposedly friends whom in turned to be a family of harvesters.

Human harvesters and they are looking for something specific. And Ashley just might be the perfect match for that something.

Author Info:

I'm a college student still trying to get a handle of the adult world. When I need to get away from it I lose myself in books, my own writing, and in spending time with my amazing boyfriend which he supports me to no end.

Finding my passion in books has led me to finding a passion in writing my own fictional stories back in 2009, I have turned this into a dream career and going one step further I would love to open up my own book store.